The Truth Behind Excessive Sugar Intake is All Over Your Face

I'm not one to complain about my skin. As a teenager, I had no serious acne outbreaks that I had to worry about, and I got away with never using any fancy moisturizers or cleansers. Plus I had a mother who encouraged frequent fruit and vegetable consumption. Of course, once I went to college, the sweet tooth I had suppressed for so long went off-the-charts crazy.

The dining hall in my dorm had a dessert bar fully stocked with cookies, pie, and cake. There was also a soft serve machine--my best friend during finals. (I ate my way through several Styrofoam cupfuls while reading Milton.) Baking at home only cemented my addiction to all things sweet.

This dependency on sugar escorted me from college life to adulthood. I started working at Bon Appétit nearly four years ago and, being the conscientious worker I am, I always volunteered to sample mail-order treats and dessert from our Test Kitchen. And boy, our food editors really know their way around a good dessert.What I'm really trying to say is this:My name is Diane and I am a sugar-addict. I eat slices of banana bread for breakfast, milkchocolate covered Digestives for lunch, and Momofuku's compost cookiesfor dinner. And suddenly, my ability to stave off the physical effectsof sugar over-consumption has been trumped by age and well, biology.

I started noticing deep dark circles under my eyes. My skinhas been irritated and dry. And then wrinkles started popping up inunexpected places. I'm gettingolder, sure, and gravity does kick in. But, the changes feel unusuallyrapid. I started to wonder if my sugar intake--now at an all-time high--wasadversely affecting my skin. I reached out to Francesco Clark, founderand president of Clark's Botanicals, for some answers.

"Refined sugars age your skin quickly through the natural process ofglycation, which is when sugar molecules are absorbed into your bloodstream during the digestion process and coat protein molecules in yourskin," he says. "The more refined sugar you eat, the more the glycationprocess is at work in your body, ultimately giving your skin a grey,sullen, complexion, losing its vitality, then leading to wrinkles."Apparently, glycation affects the protein molecules that make upcollagen and elastin in skin. Collagen and elastin give skin its firmness and elasticity.

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D.,renowned dermatologist and author, has also studied extensively theeffects of sugar intake on skin. "As thesesugars and starches are eaten, they cause a burst of inflammationthroughout the body," he says.

Dr. Perricone and Mr. Clark suggest that theeasiest way to reverse the affects of all this skin abuse was to stop eating sugar. And so I've decided to give it a try. I'm going to cut white sugar out of my diet for two weeks and see if there's a noticeable difference inmy complexion. Instead, I'll soothe my cravings for sugary treatswith healthful snacks made from unrefined sugars found in fruits andvegetables.

So instead of a slice of cake (or two) for dessert, I'm going to have a fresh fruit smoothie (see recipe below). Check back soon to find out how I do!

Orange-Berry-Banana Smoothie1 servingUse a very ripe banana for this refreshing smoothie--that's what gives it its hint of sweetness. The blueberries are packed with skin-friendly antioxidants; you can also use frozen mixed berries.